The Program

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and the University of Graz have been exchanging students since 1986. If you want to truly immerse yourself in the life of a German-speaking university student, Graz is the place for you!

Karl-Franzens-University was founded in 1585. With 27,000 students, "Uni Graz" is the second largest university in Austria. The "campus" is in the center of Graz, but as with most European universities, its buildings are scattered throughout the surrounding areas.

As a UW-Eau Claire student at Uni-Graz, you will live the life of an Austrian university student. You will take classes from Austrian professors, with Austrian classmates and live in university-arranged housing with Austrian and international roommates. You will be able to say that you truly experienced student life in another culture!

Location

Graz (population 250,000) is the capital of the province of Styria (Steiermark). Named the "Cultural City of Europe" in 2003, Graz has added a post-modern art museum to its cultural array of theaters, jazz clubs, an opera house and many cafés. Graz is nicknamed "die grüne Stadt" (the green city). .

Graz is a great base for exploring both eastern and western Europe--and the semester break in February is a wonderful opportunity to see Europe in the off (read: cheap!) season. Hop a train to Vienna or Innsbruck. Cross the border and you're in Italy, Switzerland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary, or Slovenia.

Courses

With a wide range of courses taught specifically for international students or regular university courses, you can ease you way into total language immersion or take the plunge immediately.

You will take a minimum of 12 credits each semester, with the option of taking courses taught specifically for international students or regular university courses. While most Uni Graz courses are taught in German, a few are taught in English each year. To see a sampling of these courses, go to http://www.uni-graz.at/bibwww_s_in_en_course_2007_08.htm.

You can find information on Uni Graz courses on-line at http://www.uni-graz.at go to Studium&Weiterbildung and then go to Lehrveranstaltungen. This information is only released in July for the followign academic year, please use the course information for the current academic year as a guideline.

All Graz courses that have been evaluated for credit at UW-Eau Claire can be viewed at http://www.uwec.edu/oakdev/rar850/C9098.htm.

Consult your German adviser about course selection.

Where Will I Live?

The International Office at Uni-Graz will find housing for you, usually in one of the WIST student dormitories. Check them out on the Web at http://wist.kreta.dyn.priv.at/mg34/#mg20

Academic Calendar

The Graz exchange is for a semester or an academic year. If you participate for fall only, the semester is early September through December. Fall semester ends in late January for those staying the full year. Spring semester begins in early February and runs to late June. There is a break at Christmas and Easter. You can find 2008-2009 dates on the Uni Graz home page. 2009-2010 dates will be available in spring 2009.


Expenses

The estimated Wisconsin resident fee for one semester is $3,875. This includes full-time UW-Eau Claire tuition, CISI insurance, and administrative fees. Minnesota residents add reciprocity; non-residents add non-resident fees.

Additional costs to expect: passport, international and local transportation, housing, food, books, and personal expenses. You should estimate another $7,100 for these costs in the fall semester; $7,950 in the spring semester.

Total Wisconsin resident cost estimate: $10,975-$11825. Costs estimates may change at any time.

Financial Aid/Scholarships

If you qualify for financial aid, you can apply your aid to program costs. Your aid package will be based on actual costs in Austria, including round-trip airfare. Five scholarships of up to $2000 are available for study in Graz! All students accepted are automatically considered. You can learn about additional options, including a study abroad grant through the UW-Eau Claire Foundation; a Wisconsin Grant for Study Abroad and scholarships for specific majors and national study abroad scholarships at http://uwec.edu/CIE/sac/finaid.htm.

Eligibility

To apply, you must be a currently-enrolled, degree-seeking undergraduate UW-Eau Claire student. You must be in good academic standing and have a cumulative resident GPA of 3.0. By the time of departure, you need to have completed two years of university-level German and have at least sophomore standing.

Application Deadline

Applications for Fall 2009/Academic Year 2009-2010 are accepted beginning September 2, 2008.  The priority application deadline for Fall 2009 is November 17, 2008.

Applications for Spring 2010 are accepted beginning January 15, 2009.  The priority application deadline for Spring 2010 is April 1, 2009.

Complete applications will be reviewed after these dates.  Late applications will be considered if space on the program is still available.  Please contact the Center for International Education to find out if spaces are available before submitting a late application.  No applications will be accepted after January 30, 2009 for Fall 2009/Academic Year 2009-2010, or after May 1, 2009 for Spring 2010.

You can download an application at online applications, or stop by to pick up an application in the Center for International Education.

Comments

You just can't pass up an experience like this. Graz is a vibrant and multicultural city that will never cease to amaze you. -Nessa, past participant

"As a German liberal arts major, studying in Graz was a great experience. The open enrollment system gave me a huge choice of classes. I improved my German and learned about Austrian and German culture and history."
Jessica-past participant

"From historic Renaissance courtyards and an impressive national armory to intriguing modern architecture and inspiring art creations, there is no wonder Graz was Kulturhauptstadt 2003. Blossoming with adventures sure to spark your interest, Graz is definitely the place to be."
Craig-past participant

"For me this program was perfect. It gave me a balance of responsibility and freedom that allowed me to choose what my experience was. Also, I personally think a year is much better when traveling to a foreign country to learn the language. I felt that after 4 or 5 months I was finally fitting in and Graz was now my home. I couldn't have imagined going home at that time. It was a great program for me and I would recommend it to anyone."
Andrew-past participant


Additional Information

For more information and an application, contact:

Center for International Education
111 Schofield Hall
UW-Eau Claire
Eau Claire, WI  54702-4004

Phone: (715) 836-4411
Fax: (715) 836-4948
Email: studyabroad@uwec.edu